Ian Wright has suggested that Arsenal might have won their recent Premier League match against Manchester United if one key United player had featured in the starting XI.
The game ended in a 3-2 victory for United, but Wright believes the outcome could have been different with another figure between the posts for the Red Devils.
His comments focused on the impact of that absence and what it might have meant for the final result.
Ian Wright on why Arsenal would have won if Andre Onana played
Wright explained his view on the Stick to Football podcast, making clear which player he had in mind when analysing the match.
“The goalkeeper made some good saves at the start. That’s what it is. I tell you what, I think we win that game if Onana was playing, absolutely,” Wright said.
Andre Onana, the Cameroon international, is currently on loan from Manchester United at Turkish club Trabzonspor as of the 2025/26 season, with the move coming after a challenging period at Old Trafford.
Why Andre Onana’s reputation has been scrutinised
When Onana joined Manchester United from Inter Milan in 2023, he arrived with significant expectations as a modern, ball-playing goalkeeper, and was meant to be the long-term successor to David de Gea.
However, his tenure at United was marked by inconsistency and high-profile errors that drew criticism from fans and pundits alike. A series of mistakes, including several that directly led to goals, undermined confidence in his reliability in goal.
By the 2025/26 season, Manchester United allowed Onana to join Trabzonspor on loan, giving him a chance to rebuild his reputation away from the intense scrutiny of the Premier League.
The move reflected both his struggles at Old Trafford and the club’s willingness to look at other options in goal.
Critics point to a combination of unsteady performances and key errors as reasons his reputation dipped, even as his underlying ability remains recognised in other contexts.
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